This video looks at the grip Roger Federer uses to hit a forehand. Federer uses a very conservative grip — the eastern forehand grip — when hitting the shot. We use several pictures of Roger’s heel pad and index knuckle to illustrate how he positions his hand on the handle.

There’s some controversy surrounding this video. Some folks say that Federer’s grip is more extreme — that his heel pad or index knuckle (and sometimes both) are on the edge in between bevel 3 and bevel 4. I have seen some pictures that are several years old that suggest this might be the case. However, I have seen many others (not our own) that support our analysis. It’s possible that Federer’s grip has gotten more conservative over the years. He may also adjust his grip slightly depending on the surface. For example, he may use a slightly more extreme grip on clay because the ball bounces higher up than on faster surfaces. Regardless, his grip is still really, really conservative.